Mitral Periprosthetic Leak

A mitral periprosthetic leak, or mitral periprosthetic regurgitation, is a condition in which the replacement valve between the upper and lower chamber of the left side of the heart (mitral valve) leaks severely, leading to shortness of breath, difficulty breathing, and swelling of the feet. These leaks are basically gaps, or defects, that typically form as a result of calcium buildup, suture rupture, or infection. Using special catheters and plugs, physicians are able to go into the heart through blood vessels in the groin, cross the gap, and seal it using appropriately sized vascular plugs, using a minimally invasive method called mitral periprosthetic leak procedure.

Mitral periprosthetic leak procedure is a treatment for mitral periprosthetic regurgitation, a condition in which the replacement valve between the upper and lower chamber of the left side of the heart (mitral valve) leaks severely, leading to shortness of breath, difficulty breathing, and swelling of the feet, all of which are symptoms of heart failure. Using this procedure, specialists are able to seal periprosthetic leaks in the prosthetic heart valve. These leaks are basically gaps, or defects, that typically form as a result of calcium buildup, suture rupture, or infection. Using special catheters and plugs, physicians are able to go into the heart through blood vessels in the groin, cross the gap, and seal it using appropriately sized vascular plugs.

The UAB Structural Heart & Valve Program is the oldest and largest program of its kind in Alabama. It provides ongoing care – sometimes for life – to patients who have or are at risk for structural heart and valve disease. Our experienced surgeons and cardiologists take a comprehensive approach to diagnosing and treating this condition, and their expertise ranges from traditional open-heart surgery to robotic-assisted valve repair and the latest in minimally invasive surgical techniques, which require only small incisions (cuts).

The UAB Structural Heart & Valve Clinic has achieved several important milestones in the past decade. In 2012, we performed the first transcatheter aortic valve replacement (TAVR) in Alabama, and UAB has performed more TAVR procedures than any other hospital in the state. As an added service, patients who have been told by non-UAB doctors that they need valve surgery can speak to a UAB structural heart and valve surgeon for a second opinion.

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Related Specialties

• Heart Valve Disease
• Mitral Valve Prolapse
• Mitral Valve Repair